Togetherness

Back to the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, here is a pair to watch.Which I did not, because I did not need to know the ending of that particur story. Would you?

Finding Your Place

Happy to say that my work "Mummy Bags / Canopic Jars" won first place at the Quilts=Art=Quilts show tonight at the opening. Lucky for me, this wall!

Gators in the Cooler

While getting ice cream, I jumped when I saw this stack of (fake) alligators piled in the cooler. I would not put it out-of-mind to see the real stuff, not the fake stuffed.

Florida's Gulf, Sort of..

Water, at last, from the boardwalk at Punta Gorda looking at Port Charlotte. Quite the sun stream, 86 degrees, and inside the wharf they were hanging Christmas garland. Geesh.

Grasshopper in the Slough

I took a walk in the Six Mile Cypress Slough (pronounced "slew") and saw this dapper grasshopper. Everything is a bit different for this Northerner in the Florida climate.

Tackling the (Pretty) Job

Great bunch of very hard-working textile artists. Unlimited in energy, talent, and ability to laugh at my jokes! That would be the Art Quilters Unlimited group. It was two days of composing and creating.

Cutting up the Pretties in Florida

Palm trees just outside the window, and inside a room full of energy! What a great group to work with, and I do mean WORK. We really had those rotary cutters rolling, and tomorrow brings more tip and treats for this class. Stay tuned.

Florida and Strange Trees

Outside it is 80 degrees, this strange tree and with and orchard, no less! Florida seems strange, so far, but this week is new.

Change of Weather

They don't know it yet, but it is about to get colder, so they might start to fluff those feathers. Taken a couple of days ago in Greenville, New York, just next to the Catskills.

Thomas Cole's Front Porch

Across the bridge from Olana is the home of Thomas Cole, one of American's premier painters. It is hard to capture in this humble photo the view he saw. Better to find one of his paintings and just sit and contemplate.

Working the Full Frame

Mary told me later that she had never made a quilt that did not use blocks. You can see the intensity and the result of her careful precise work. And you can see a glimpse of the work space at Greenville Arms.

Greenville Arms-ful of Talent

I can't say enough about this talented and great group of fiber artists. Carol, Mary, Sue and Jennifer could not be nicer, more fun and relaxing and way-hard working! Greenville Arms meant for me to meet you in a workshop, and the pleasure was certainly mine. Keep "slashing and burning."

Olana At Last

Sandra told me YEARS ago to see Olana, home of Frederick Church. Finally saw this spectacular house perched overlooking the Hudson River. I wish I could show that view, it's view is so far reaching.  It is a gem, and if you are ever near, visit. This side trip was while I am teaching at the Greenville Arms.

Teaching at Greenville Arms

This carriage house is the site for teaching my class "Slash and Burn" and it is so peaceful and wonderful. The Greenville Arms runs the Fiber Art Workshop series, and I am thrilled to be here with a great group of quilters.

Bear With Me

Follow this car too closely and you are bound to slam on the brakes. Seen on foot, this was close enough.

Clearing in the Distance

Last week we climbed Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, New York. Well, we drove most of the way and climbed the top. This was that cloudless day, extremely rare for these parts.

Autumnal Leaves

Jean started it all when she asked abut the "Big Leaf" workshop. So, today we made leaves using freezer paper templates. Here her leaf is taking shape. Perfect day to be inside with quilting companions.

Raffle Mummy for Schweinfurth

A bit behind on the deadline, but will finish this little mummy bag quilt to send off to be raffled at the Schweinfurth Art Center at the end of this month. Remind me to show the finished little piece.

Adirondack Loj

Tucked back into the woods, this camp built in 1927 is the base for the Adirondack Mountain Club's lodge. Just comfortable enough, it seems a great place to relax after that hike. Or you can just rent a lean-to down the path. Fine enough for me.

A Walk in the Woods

Near Mirror Lake on the hike out of the Adirondack Loj, this path seems timeless.

Saranac Lake

Put in the 1917 Carleton canoe in Saranac to catch some rays. You have to believe that it is never cloudless and 78 degrees on any given day in the Adirondacks. How wonderful. And yes, that is a shoe string as the mooring.

Turkey on the Road

This roasting pan is not big enough for this (already stuffed) bird. Seen along the way in Ausable Forks, and one turkey I left in Ausable Forks.

More Turkey to Chew On

A recent sighting of these wild birds in my yard. So prehistoric looking, and weird. Enough bird-watching, now time to get quilting!

Overlapping Images

I love polka dots, and the way the Bruno Monguzzi used the pattern over this portrait is so veil-like. Nice poster, on view recently at RIT.

Perennial Society Banquet

Each October the Greater Rochester Perennial Society has their banquet. You see the table set for the 50/50 draw, the plant auction (I bought a grass) and tiny daffodils for favors. And remember -- the Perennial Society is not about living forever.

Under the Hundertwasser Influence

Friedensreich Hundertwasser's works inspired this crazy pair of socks. Hope you can see the relationship. Good that he doesn't know about this.

Bruno Monguzzi at RIT

Stumbling on these posters from the Tom Strong Collection by the internationaly renowned Swiss graphic designer Bruno Monguzzi made my day. The show lasts until October 5. Make time to see it at Rochester Institute of Technology.

A Yard Full of Turkeys

Today we counted the turkeys in the yard and wondered if that was a sign to make Thanksgiving plans. This is a panel I saw at the Ornithology Lab at Cornell painted by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Fuertes painted an entire library full of panels, and they were reinstalled after the owner's death. Spectacular.

Cornstalk Explanation

Aafke explains her contemporary piece to a fellow quilter. You can see the cornstalks in the snow, along with a wonderful heavily textured stitch. And notice that blue ribbon?

Quilt Show in Ithaca

The Tompkins County Quilters Guild's biennial show this weekend includes my booth of hand-dyed fabrics down the isle from some very colorful and note-worthy works. It goes tomorrow as well with some strong and wonderful Civil War era quilts on loan from the historical society. Very humbling to see these fine works.